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Ray Park played the role of the Sith apprentice Darth Maul in 1999’sThe Phantom Menace. Directed by George Lucas, the film serves as the first entry in the prequel trilogy of theStar Warsfranchise. In the film, Maul proves to be a menacing threat that Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi eventually defeats.
However, the impact of Maul’s look on selling him as a real threat cannot be stated enough. Park made one addition to the character’s appearance, completing his monstrous look and truly making Maul one of the most fearsome villains in the galaxy far, far away. Here is how one detail added by Ray Park made Darth Maul even more menacing.
Ray Park Added One Detail That MadeStar WarsVillain Darth Maul Look Like a Monster
The Phantom Menaceintroduced the villainous Darth Maul to theStar Warsfranchise. Despite his little screen time in the movie, the character quickly became one of the most popular villains in the entire franchise. Furthermore, martial artistRay Park‘s performance in the film also received positive reactions from fans.
During filming, Parkreportedlyhad to wear red and yellow contact lenses which were extremely uncomfortable for the actor. Since the lenses would cause Park discomfort, he performed the scenes while blinking as little as possible. As a result, in the final film, Maul almost does not blink during the entirety of his screen time.
“It’s got that traditional vibe”: The Controversial Lightsaber Design Many Star Wars Fans Hate Made Darth Maul Actor Ray Park Desperate for a Franchise Return
The only time Maul blinks on the screen is after he isimpaled by Obi-Wan Kenobi, leading to his death. Although Park made the addition for his own comfort, it ended up benefiting the character as blinking is one of the most human traits. Therefore, by avoiding it, Park inadvertently brought a more monstrous feel to his character, establishing Maul as a fearsome foe.
George Lucas Originally Wanted Darth Maul to Like the Worst Nightmare inStar Wars
Darth Maul’s scary look is a part of the reason why the character is popular among the fanbase. However, the tattooed face with horns look wasn’t always the original design for the character.George Lucasand his team of concept artists made several revisions before arriving at Maul’s final look.
During an interview with the officialStar Warswebsite, concept designer Iain McCaig revealed how Lucas had originally described the character. He said:
George Lucas had described Darth Maul as a figure from your worst nightmare. So… I drew George my worst nightmare.
McCaig added that the original design he created for Maul was too scary and it was quickly scrapped.
“The concept guys almost talked George into that”: George Lucas Nearly Resurrected Darth Maul as an Iconic Prequel Trilogy Villain after The Phantom Menace
The concept artist then tried several methods to create a menacing look for the character, eventually settling upon the idea of drawing a pattern on Maul’s face. McCaig drew inspiration from patterns seen on animals and face tattoos in several tribal cultures, leading to the creation of the flayed flesh look that Maul sports in the final film.
TheStar Warsfilms and television spin-offs are streaming on Disney+.
Pratik Handore
Content Writer
Articles Published :1771
With a keen interest in comic book movies and blockbuster franchises, Pratik usually covers news and updates on the DCU, MCU, Star Wars, and more.A die-hard fan of George Lucas and Steven Spielberg, Pratik spends most of his time exploring different storytelling mediums that invoke a sense of wonder and adventure. Other filmmakers whose works have deeply influenced him include Alfred Hitchcock, James Gunn, and Guillermo del Toro.
